Sweeps!

[OFR]

Re: Sweeps!

Hey man, heres a video of me doing sweeps [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]
http://www.larz.tk/rrtk/im000135.mpg

[Twisteramps]

Re: Sweeps!

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hardest thing about sweeps is the TIMING... you have to be able to time both hands perfectly in sync, and also mute strings right after they are played so you don't end up just playing strums.

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Yep - note separation - but that comes though lots of practice and circular picking development.

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Why would one have to develop circular picking to get good note seperation? BTW, Roy Buchanan was one of the earliest guys to use circular picking - and he didn't sweep as far as I know. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Pete

[thetroy]

Re: Sweeps!

What's the benefit of circular picking? I guess the idea that your picking hand never stops moving might be able to bring some sort of advantage compared to straight up and down, but I don't get it just yet.

[shredmonster]

Re: Sweeps!

Circular picking has a couple benefits that I can think of off hand.

First, with circular picking you are not picking perpendicular across the strings but sort of diagonally.

This does a couple things.

First, it increases the distance the pick must travel to get to the next string slightly because the pick is not going in a straight line. Why is this good?

It give your fingers slightly more time to get to the next note in the arpeggio. It will make your playing sound cleaner because of this.

It decreases string noise because you are cutting accross the string in a diagonal fashion as opposed to a straight up and down movement so the pick slides over the strings more smoothly creating less noise.

The smoothness of the picking action will prevent your pick from getting caught up on any one string as it slides more smoothly over each string - which sometimes happens when you are trying to pick a complicated arpeggio in a straight up and down pick style.

Once you get this picking down you will be able to go as fast as you need. I can do these at 260bmp when I practice and I use circular picking - so it is plenty fast.

I resisted this sort of picking for a long time myself but I played with a guy who used it all the time. I could not figure out why his arpeggios always sounded cleaner than mine. One day this picking just rubbed off on me. I started just doing it naturally when I practiced from seeing done so many times.

I too could not understand what the benefits were and thought it was too hard to learn.

Now I understand.

The problem you most likely will make when starting out is creating too big of a circle with yuor technique. As you keep practicing the circle will get smaller and smaller and you will find the balance of smoothness, clarity and speed.

Is that not what you are looking to accomplish?

[thetroy]

Re: Sweeps!

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Is that not what you are looking to accomplish?

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No, that is not not what I am looking to accomplish. Err..

Yes, that is not what I am looking to accomplish. Doh!

It sounds wrong both ways, I hate it when people phrase questions like that! I think the "No..." is the most correct answer in this case.

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Sweeps!

Another way to develop circular picking is to hold the pick so only the slightest amount of the tip is peeking out (like you should be holding it anyways!). Then start on the high E string and using the smallest clockwise circles so in one movment there is both an downward and upward stroke. You will eventually get it to the point where it's faster and more even than regular alternate picking though it will be a lot less staccato sounding. From there you can expand the circle to encompas 2 then 3 then so on.

[shredmonster]

Re: Sweeps!

OK sorry .. I misunderstood. I guess you dont want smoothness , clarity, speed and precision.

I wont waste your time anymore.

[thetroy]

Re: Sweeps!

Dude you have to read every word. You asked if that was not what I am looking for. I replied with No, that is not NOT what I am looking for. Notice the pair of Not's

It was supposed to be funny, guess it didn't work.

[gemini8026]

Re: Sweeps!

Justin Wakely, dont you have some old videos of yourself you had posted before? (i recall a blue strat?)

They showed DAMN fine technique and cool vids to boot!

[shredmonster]

Re: Sweeps!

Sorry - didn't get it. Anyway, I guarantee you will get results if you do what I did. It may take a year or two but you will be rippin' em up.

I look at practicing these not so much to build up to the point of being able to play the arpeggio - but to simplify all the movements and take the sloppiness out utilizing conservation of movement which comes from finger strength and picking execution.

If you have an accoustical guitar it will help you develop finger strength.

[jjw]

Re: Sweeps!

yeahh mate i did a few Gambale type ones and some other arp seq ones on my strat(teal green..lol)i lost the small versions when i left onlinerock-but i have the real versions on my hardrive-need to encode them smaller then i will stick them on my site nder the vid section